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Patented Jan. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES rnoorzss OF AND MACHINE Fon sA ING STONE William McKenzie, Stonington, Maine, assignor to John L. Goss Corporation, 1 Maine, a corporation of Maine Stonington,

Application March 24, 1936, Serial No. 7( ),570

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a process of and a machine for working stone by the use of a rubbing tool or tools such as a saw or a gang of saws in connection with abrasive material such as steel shot or sand as the cutting agent. In the use of the methods and apparatus heretofore employed, the cutting speed, and hence the output, has been limited to a large extent by the way in which the detritus (called mud) resulting from the sawing of the stone, has been handled. The

difiiculty has been manifested in various ways.

The most commonly used abrasive material is steel shot, and this will be used as an example in the course of the following description. Several difiiculties have been experienced in connection with the handling of the shot.

One of these is the fact that the shot and the detritus when collected in the gathering pit tend to form in mass which is difficult to break up to enable the shot to be re-circulated through the machine.

In a machine of the type in which a centrifugal pump takes shot and water from the gathering pit and elevates the same to an elevated tank, it is desirable that there shall be some detritus adhering to the shot to enable the shot to be carried along with the water to the elevated tank whence the shot are permitted to gravitate to the work. But the detritus adhering to shot tends to cause clogging in the elevated tank.

When the shot are at work in the saw-kerfs, the presence of the detritus is a distinct limiting factor in the cutting speed and hence in the output. The shot, the saws and the saw-kerfs should be as free as possible from the detritus in order that the cutting shall be as rapid as desired.

This invention aims to correct these difficulties. The first is corrected by agitating the shot and the detritus in the collecting pit by the use of a stream of water under high pressure discharged downwardly into the mass in the pit. The downward discharge prevents clogging of the outlet of the supply pipe.

The second difficulty is corrected by agitating the shot and the detritus in the elevated tank by the use of a stream of water under high pressure discharged into and agitating the mass in the tank.

The third difficulty is corrected by washing the shot after the latter leave the elevated tank. This is accomplished in two ways. 'One way is to discharge water under high pressure upon the descending shot, upon the shot distributor, and upon the saws and the work by one or more pipes discharging into the space between the ele--,

vated tank and the distributor. Another way is to discharge water under high pressure below the distributor and directly upon the saws and into the'saw kerfs.

One way of "carrying out these steps is by the use of apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, although it is possible that other apparatus might be used or that the steps might be carried out by hand. In any event, each step is useful without the others, but all of them combined produce the best results.

The invention will best be understood by ref-- erence to the following description of the steps and the preferred apparatus for practising the method, while its scope will be pointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view of an illustrated apparatus bywhich the process may be practised;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan illustrating the arrangement of the water pipes between the elevated tank and the distributor;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view similar to Fig.

1, showing another arrangement in which water pipes discharge into the space between the shot distributor and the work;

Fig. 5 is a plan of the water pipe arrangement below the shot distributoryand Fig. 6 is an elevation of the water pipe arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5.

Before proceeding with a detailed description of the preferred apparatus for practising the invention, it is well to state that stone sawing machines of this class are of various types of construction and there are various ways of handling the shot. One type (such as the one shown) has a centrifugal pump which elevates commingled shot, water and detritus to a tank having a discharge below which is a distributor to distribute the shot and the water over the work. Other types employ conveyors of various kinds. In some of the more primitive machines, workmen shovel the shot onto the work.

The machineselected for illustration comprises rails H] for wheel 12 of a carriage M which supports a block 16 of stone. A reciprocating saw frame I8 carries one or more, usually several, parallel saws (not shown) and is raised and lowered as usual. When the frame is lowered and the saws are in the kerfs, the frame is about the stone. A framework 2!! is provided, as' usual, for the operating mechanism and other parts. 55

Below the carriage I4 is a gathering pit 22 in which water is maintained, at the level shown, by an overflow pipe 24. B'eside this pit is a centrifugal pump 26 communicating with the pit by a direct suction pipe 28 and an indirect suction pipe 30, the latter being controlled by valve 32 and the former by a trap or gate 34, a link 35, a bell-crank lever 36, a link 38 and a hand lever 40. When the trap or gate 34 is closed and the valve 32 is open, water only is drawn from the pit,

and when, on the other hand, the valve 32 is' closed and the trap or gate 34 is open, water and shot are drawn from the pit.

The pump discharges through a pipe 42 to an elevated container or tank 44 supported by the frame 20 and having an outlet 46 which discharges onto the saws and the stone, whence the water, shot and detritus or mud gravitate to the pit to be recirculated, minus some mud which naturally escapes through the overflow pipe 24. The elevated tank 44 is provided with a usual overflow pipe 48 for excess water which is carried laterally of the work.

Below the tank 44 is a shot distributor 50 suspended from the framework as by ropes 52.

This distributor is one of a well-known type having a centrally-located, open-top receptacle 54 into which the outlet 46 of the tank 44 discharges, and in the center of this receptacle is an upstanding tapered pin 56 (see Fig. 3) on which the stream from the outlet 46 impinges, and by which the stream is spread over oppositely and downwardly sloping surfaces 58 provided with V-shaped ripples 60.

The shot descending these sloping surfaces are checked by the ripples and descend through holes 62, some of which may be closed by plugs 64, according to the distribution desired. The shot passing through the holes 62 descend upon two oppositely sloping sets of slats 66 separated by slots 68. The slope of the slats is at right angles to the slope of the surfaces 58 and the slots 68 extend longitudinally of the saws and the saw kerfs, so that the shot passing through the slots 68 descend in sheets upon the work and are well distributed over the latter. The shot are guided into the saw-kerfs by inverted V-shaped sheds I0, sometimes called boxes, placed between the saw-kerfs and usually resting upon calking, usually pieces of sack-cloth, laid upon the stone. Mud carried by the shot and water assists in filling up the holes in the calking.

To the apparatus as thus constituted, I have added apparatus by which the hereinbefore described difliculties are avoided and the production of the machine is increased. The preferred apparatus for carrying out the steps will now be described, reference being had at first to Fig. 1.

To agitate the shot and mud in the pit 22 and to prevent clogging at the inlet of the pipe 28, I have provided a downwardly-directed pipe whose outlet is below the surface of the mass of shot and mud. This pipe is supplied with clear water under high pressure and having sufficient impact to keep the mass constantly in motion and to prevent it from solidifying. Furthermore, the addition of fresh water at this point washes the shot so that some of the mud passes off through the overflow pipe 24. It is desirable, however, as already indicated, that there should be some mud adhering to the shot to assist in carrying the shot along with the water through the pump 26 and upwardly through the pipe 42 to the overhead tank 44.

The pipe I2 is connected to a pipe 14in which is a valve I6 by which the amount of water supplied to the pipe I2 may be adjusted to a nicety. The pipe I4 is connected to a vertical .in downwardly directed at one side of the center of the tank 44 so as not to discharge into the outlet 46. Thispipe is controlled by a valve 34 which adjusts the flow of the water to suit the requirements.

To wash the shot descending from the outlet 46, I discharge clear water under high pressure in the space between the tank 44 and the spreader 50, as by one or more, herein a plurality of pipes 86 controlled by valves 88 and connected to a header or manifold 90 which, in turn, is connected by a pipe 92 to the stand-pipe 18. A valve 94 in the pipe 92 serves to regulate the supply of water and to shut off the same when desired. The pipes 86 are provided with numerous downwardly directed holes 96 which send sprays of water downwardly upon the spreader to Wash the shot as they descend, so that the shot are reasonably freed from mud before they reach the saw-kerfs, and rapid cutting is promoted, thus increasing the output to a very substantial extent.

Instead of applying the clear water above the spreader, I sometimes apply it between the spreader and the work, as illustrated in Fig. 4. This step is conveniently carried out in the present example by a plurality of pipes 96 corresponding in number to the maximum number of saw-kerfs and correspondingly and adjustably spaced, and located directly over the respective saw-kerfs which they serve. These pipes are suitably supported as by rods I00 attached to the framework 20, and they are connected in series by two sets of pairs of links I02 arranged in the fashion of lazy-tongs, one set of ends of the links being disposed about the pipes and the other ends being connected by pivots I04. There is suflicient friction in the joints to maintain the pipes in the spacing to which they have been adjusted. The pipes in this case also are provided with a multiplicity of perforations I06 so that jets of clearwater under high pressure are discharged into the saw-kerfs.

The pipes 98 are individually controlled by valves I08 whereby the supply of water to each may be regulated and whereby any given pipe may be shut off if there is no saw-kerf below it. Flexible sections IIO such as lengths of rubber hose connect the pipes 98 to a header or manifold II2 which in turn is connected to the stand-pipe 18. The flexibility of the sections IIO permits adjustment of the pipes 98 within reasonable limits.

I claim:

1. In the art of sawing stone by the use of a saw in connection with liquid as a vehicle and abrading material as the cutting agent, the process which is characterized by gathering abrading material, liquid and sludge from the sawing operation, elevating abrading material, sludge and liquid as a vehicle to a. point above the work, agitating the elevated mass by additional liquid supplied as an independent stream discharged thereinto, releasing the mass as a stream toward the work. and washing the abrading material as it descends toward the work by additional cleansing liquid supplied thereto.

2. In the art of sawing stone by the use of a saw in connection with liquid as a vehicle and abrading material as the cutting agent, the process which is characterized by gathering abrading material, liquid and sludge from the sawing operation, elevating abrading material, sludge and liquid as a vehicle to a point above the work, agitating the elevated mass by additional liquid supplied as an independent stream discharged thereinto, releasing the mass as a stream toward the work, distributing the abrading material as it descends toward the work, and washing the abrading material While it is being distributed.

3. In a machine for sawing stone by the use of one or more saws in connection with liquid as a vehicle and abrading material as the cutting agent, the combination of an elevated container having an outlet toward the work, means to conduct abrading material and liquid as a vehicle to said container, a distributor to distribute the abrading material and the liquid on their Way to the Work, and means to discharge additional liquid into the space between said container and said distributor to wash the abrading material as it is being distributed.

4. In a machine for sawing stone by the use of one or more saws in connection with water and abrasive material as the cutting agent, the combination of an elevated container having an outlet toward the work, means to conduct abrasive material and water to said container, a distributor to distribute the abrasive material over the work and the saw, and means to discharge water into the space between said container and said distributor, the last-mentioned means including a plurality of pipes, and valves to control the distribution of water by said pipes.

5. In a machine for sawing stone by the use of one or more saws in connection with liquid as a vehicle and abrading material as the cutting agent, the combination of an elevated container having an outlet toward the work, means to conduct abrading material and liquid as a vehicle to said container, a distributor to distribute the abrading material and the liquid on their way to the work, and means to discharge additional liquid into the space between said distributor and the work, the last-mentioned means including a plurality of pipes, and a support for said pipes providing for variable spacing of said pipes to correspond with the spacing of the saws.

6. In a machine for sawing stone by the use of one or more saws in connection with water and abrasive material as the cutting agent, the combination of an elevated container having an outlet toward the work, means to conduct abrasive material to said container, means to conduct water to said container to agitate the abrasive material, a distributor below said container to distribute the abrasive material over the work, and means to discharge water into the space between said contain-er and said distributor.

7. In a machine for sawing stone by the use of one or more saws in connection with liquid as a vehicle and abrading material as the cutting agent, the combination of an elevated container having an outlet toward the work, means to conduct abrading material to said container, means to conduct liquid to said container to agitate the abrading material, a distributor below said container to distribute the abrading material over the work, and means to discharge liquid into the space between said distributor and the work.

8. In the art of working stone by the use of a tool in connection with conveying liquid and abrading mate-rial, the process which is characterized by utilizing elevating liquid and sludge as a vehicle for the abrading material while conducting the same toward the work, spreading the abrading material and sludge while descending toward the work, and directing a separate supply of cleansing liquid toward the abrading material and sludge while the same is spread out, thereby to wash the abrading material before it reaches the work.

WILLIAM MCKENZIE. 

